Former Kentucky state lawmaker John Tilley, a five-term Democrat who previously served as secretary of the state’s Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, was charged Monday with first-degree rape in relation to an April 15 incident. He turned himself into police and was booked into jail. An arrest citation alleges that the victim could not consent due to their level of intoxication. Tilley’s attorneys said in a statement that he “maintains his innocence of the criminal charges and has cooperated with the investigation.” Tilley, 53, was appointed to oversee the state’s justice department, including its prison system, by former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin. During his tenure, he advocated for reducing prison overcrowding and decreasing the backlog of untested rape kits.
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